termagant

a woman who is very strict or who tries to tell people what to do, in an unpleasant wayWord OriginMiddle English (originally referring to an imaginary deity of violent and turbulent character who often appeared in morality plays): via Old French from ItalianTrivagante, taken to be from Latintri-

‘three’

+ vagant-

‘wandering’

, and to refer to the moon “wandering” between heaven, earth, and hell under the three names Selene, Artemis, and Persephone.